-
Eight sleeps
Eight sleeps left till The Longest Night Run! We’ve been encouraged by all of you who have signed up so far, along with the stories of why you’ll be braving the night. And we’re so grateful for the generosity of those who have donated, it’s beautiful to see a community come together to support our…
-
15 hours and 52 minutes
Ever since the first Longest Night Run, the gaping void between sunset and sunrise during the solstice has beckoned like a menacing “triple dog dare” (Christmas Story, anyone?) We’ve tackled it as a relay, with young and old taking their turn in running/walking/riding through the night. Others have decided to take on longer legs, putting…
-
Nocturnal
I saw an owl the other day. Against dawn’s glowing eastern sky, a silent silhouette suspended in the branches between the path and the grassy field. I stopped to watch the rare sight, trying to make out the details of the great creature in the dim light. Although my eyes struggled, I knew I hadn’t…
-
Small Kindnesses
Have we ever paid so much attention to our connection to each other? If ever we were aware of exactly how many metres separate you from me, and how quickly we can spread both kindness or viruses between people, it’s now. One year ago, Naomi Shihab Nye said of a poem, “Sometimes a poem just…
-
We Will Rise
Last night I made bread. As I was lining up to take a photo of my glorious creation, my nearly-three-year-old said with disbelief, “You’re taking a picture of the bread?!? Bread can’t say “cheese”… I’ll say “cheese” for it!” And she did. But as my little helper and I baked, I thought about the time…
-
Running Every Single Street in Steinbach
“To walk across a place is to truly know a place.” – Rickey Gates # Last year I was inspired by Rickey Gates’ “Every Single Street” project, where the ultrarunner set out to run all of the 1170km (1100 miles) of street in San Fransisco. No big deal, right? Here’s the documentary that was produced…
-
The Peace of Wild Things
In this week of stress and uncertainty, my morning ritual has been essential. Leaving the house, weaving down familiar trails under the vast dawn sky, this poem by Wendell Berry has surfaced day after day. The Peace of Wild Thingsby Wendell Berry When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the…
-
Trails Through the Snow
The path is made by walking. Antonio Machado You’ve probably seen them, veering off the snow-free sidewalk and through the deep snow. What begins as a series of footprints slowly becomes a packed-snow path. In his book On Trails, Robert Moor calls them “desire lines.” Desire lines are shortcuts adopted by hundreds of feet, an…
-
Making the Rounds
In his book Keep Going, Austin Kleon references the US Postal Service’s unofficial slogan in describing his family’s morning walk routine. “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” This morning, on a day where the Canada Post has been delayed or…